In the drylands, getting trees established in degraded landscapes is an important step towards regenerating fertility and water cycles. Trees have the ability to fix nitrogen and hold moisture, creating an enhanced microclimate for other species to grow. Oregon State University Free Permaculture Course (http://open.oregonstate.edu/courses/p…)

In this lesson, Toby Hemenway uses Prezi as an alternative to PowerPoint for his presentation titled ‘Guilds: Building Blocks for Creating Ecosystems’. Toby takes this sometimes mystifying topic and presents it for you very simply and clearly. He uses the well-known three-sisters triad of corn, beans, and squash to explain what a guild is and […]

Twenty years ago, Stefan Sobkowiak bought a commercial apple orchard with the intention of converting it to an organic orchard. He did just that, but eventually understood the limitations of the organic model originating from monoculture. He then decided to tear out most of the trees and replant in a way that would maximize biodiversity […]

“Desertification is a fancy word for land that is turning to desert,” begins Allan Savory in this quietly powerful talk. And terrifyingly, it’s happening to about two-thirds of the world’s grasslands, accelerating climate change and causing traditional grazing societies to descend into social chaos. Savory has devoted his life to stopping it. He now believes […]